The weather has been cool around here. I’ve had to put on a sweatshirt in the morning and layer on a thin blanket at night. I took it as a hint to get back into the kitchen for some real cooking after a summer of salads and sandwiches.

I was elated to find this recipe in my pile of magazines. It’s not as heavy as the stews and casseroles for fall, but still hearty enough to warm up a cool summer night.

This soup uses summer’s sweetest produce–squash and corn. The scallion in there adds a bit of oniony flavor without overpowering the soup. The recipe uses crunchy bacon and rich cheddar as toppers. You can experiment with other toppers  such as tortilla chips or diced avocados.

Most chowders are thickened with a roux (a mixture of fat and flour) and some heavy cream. This soup achieves its luxurious creaminess by blending corn kernels with some milk. The result is a much lighter (and healthier) version for summer.

I like to serve this soup with a hunk of crusty bread for a meal. It will be especially satisfying for cooks who have been absent from their kitchen this summer.

Summer Squash and Corn Chowder

Adapted from Cooking Light, August 2010

• Bacon (or veggie bacon), 2 slices
• Green onions, thinly sliced, 3/4 cup, divided
• Yellow summer squash, 1 pound (about 3 squashes), small diced
• Frozen white and yellow corn kernels, 1 pound, thawed and divided, or kernels sliced from 7 ears of fresh corn
• Milk (low fat ok), 2 1/4 cups, divided
• Fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon, chopped
• Salt, 1/2 teaspoon
• Pepper, 1/4 teaspoon
• Extra-sharp shredded cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup

Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until crisp. If you are using veggie bacon, add a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan to help it brown. Remove from the pan, reserving the dripping. Crumble bacon and set aside. Add the squash and 1/2 cup of the onions to the drippings in the pan; saute until the squash is tender, about 10 minutes.

Reserve 1 cup of corn kernels. Place the rest and 1 1/2 cup of milk in a blender; process until smooth. Add the remaining milk, thyme, salt and pepper; blend until smooth.

Add pureed mixture and the reserved 1 cup of corn to the pan. Reduce heat to medium; cook for five minutes, or until the soup is heated through, stirring constantly. Taste for salt and pepper. I like to add a few more grinds of freshly ground pepper.

Divide the soup in four bowls. Top with equal amounts of crumbled bacon, green onions and shredded cheddar.

Serves 4.